1) Technical Field
The subject invention relates to an automotive seat assembly which is retractable and stored within an interior space of a passenger vehicle.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Removable seat assemblies for automotive vehicles and the like are well known in the art. As appreciated, cargo space in a rear compartment of the vehicle can be maximized by removing the seat assembly. The removable seat is typically a third row bench type seat which is removed from the vehicle through a rear opening in the vehicle. The prior art removable seats have four locking points which secure the seat to a floor of the vehicle. The locking points are usually latch assemblies mounted to a seat riser on the seat assembly which lock into a pin recessed within the floor. Some of the removable seats include wheels or rollers for assisting in removing the seat from the vehicle. These prior art removable seat assemblies work relatively well when space and/or weight constraints are not a primary concern. The primary deficiencies with these seat assemblies relates to the size and weight of the seats. These removable seats can weigh up to 115 pounds which can create great difficulty in removing the seat from the vehicle. Also, the recessed pins create a cavity within the floor which may cause any number of problems for a user of the vehicle.
One solution contemplated by the prior art is to have a retractable seat assembly which stows the entire seat within a cavity in the floor of the vehicle. There are a number of deficiencies with these known retractable seats. One such deficiency is that the seat assembly must include a relatively complicated retracting mechanism in order to move the seat assembly between a seating and a retracted position. Also the cavity within the floor must be of considerable size and depth in order to accommodate the entire seat assembly along with the retracting mechanism. Finally, these prior art retractable seats typically have thin, unattractive and uncomfortable seating surfaces.
Another contemplated solution is to have the seat back portion of the seat assembly stow against a roof or rear window of the vehicle with the seat cushion remaining stationary or flipping forward to a vertical position. These known retractable seats also suffer from a number of deficiencies such as not having adequate retaining latches to secure the seat back and seat cushion and the seat cushion is not completely stowed away within the vehicle.